Environmental

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Industrial Wind Turbines are one of the fastest-growing threats to birds, bats, and ecosystems. They are harmful to both large and small birds, disrupting their migration patterns and causing above average death rates. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service states that an estimated 500,000 birds are killed each year due to collisions with Industrial Wind Turbines, and as more wind energy facilities are constructed, that number will only go up [1]. The American Bird Conservancy estimates this number will reach 1.4 million by 2030 [3]. 

Being located in the Great Lakes Region puts Barre in the Atlantic Flyway, a migratory path for birds annually traveling North and South. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service explains that turbines are a greater risk to migratory birds because "birds in soaring flight are unable to maneuver well and may be unable to avoid the turbine if soaring within the rotor swept zone [1]." Bird collisions and mortality increase with turbine height because the blades sweep higher into birds' "flight zone [1]." 

It is very likely that the number of bird deaths is FAR above 500,000 per year because small birds have a high rate of carcass disappearance [2]. After studying the decline in small-bird population around wind energy facilities in Europe, researchers determined that these facilities should be constructed at a minimum of 4.5km (2.8 mi) away from high-population bird areas [2]. It is important to note that the area studied had Industrial Wind Turbines just over HALF the size of the ones proposed currently in the Heritage Wind project. Therefore, that setback distance must grow proportionally--to what distance is unknown because the currently planned 650'-680' turbines are the tallest in history on land and no studies have been done. 

The Rochester Birding Association notes that three currently proposed turbines (T1, T2, and T3, view locations here) are only 2.6 mi from the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, which is home to 268 species of birds [4], federally-protected bald eagles, and is a designated Important Bird Area (IBA) by the Audubon Society. Three additional turbines (T4, T5, and T6) are less than 1 mi from the Oak Orchard State Wildlife Management Area. This cluster of turbines (T1-T6) that are over 650' tall, with a ~489 ft rotor diameter, and blades moving at ~210 mph will be devastating for migratory birds and the ecosystem of our region. Therefore, turbines T1-T6 should be eliminated from the Heritage Wind project. Read comments filed with DPS by the Rochester Birding Association here. 

For some of the currently outlined wind turbines, wooded land would be cleared, destroying the wildlife habitat.

Apex has tried to make area residents think that wind turbines are less of a threat to birds than they really are, but in their response to this misinformation, the American Bird Conservancy makes it clear that turbines are a very real threat to our birds that needs to be taken seriously.

"The fact that there are other causes of bird mortality that kill more birds doesn’t mean that we should ignore the problems presented by wind turbines. That’s equivalent to saying that, because heart disease is the leading cause of human mortality in the United States, we should ignore the impact of Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, or kidney disease [17]."  

Bats are an important part of farming and our ecosystem and Industrial Wind Turbines are killing hundreds of thousands of bats each year [7]. Bats are a free and natural pesticide that save U.S. agriculture billions of dollars each year in pest control. Some studies have estimated that service to be worth over $3.7 billion per year, and possibly as much as $53 billion [5]. In addition to reduced expenses for pest control, bats save billions of dollars worth of crops as revenue--$1 billion in corn crops alone. Then take into account the volume of insects that are eaten by bats and the degree to which that benefits other industries, like lumbar. It's impossible to calculate the tens, or hundreds, of billions of dollars that bats are worth monetarily.

Studies to date have not been able to identify the reason why bats seem to be drawn to wind turbines. Some scientists believe that bats are attracted to the red flashing lights that are on top of Industrial Wind Turbines, but don't yet understand why [6]. Others believe that bats are looking for insects to eat. Still others wonder if the bats are mistaking the turbines for trees and seeking shelter [7]. What scientists can agree on though is that turbines are "bat death machines" and more studies are needed to save bats and the money that they are worth. 

In the Pacific Northwest, the Hoary bat population is in jeopardy and wind turbines are one of the greatest risks. New York State has nine different species of bats, and eight of these species are listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). Given that bats are one of the slowest reproducing animals in the world [9], we can expect to see our species of bats in jeopardy as wind energy production expands. 

Like birds, some bats are killed by collision with the sweeping blades of the wind turbines. However, the Bat Conservation Trust has evidence that the pressure created by the blades is causing bats' lungs to explode [8]. In any case, it is the responsibility of wind developers to counteract this problem, but Apex has no plans to assess our bat population or reduce bat deaths in our agricultural community. 

"Cuomo calls the climate crisis a matter of life and death, but unfortunately his policies don't match the lofty rhetoric," Food & Water Watch Northeast region director Alex Beauchamp declared in a statement. "A vague pledge of carbon neutrality by the year 2040 is not the bold action necessary to move New York off fossil fuels."

We need to reset our renewable energy expectations. 100% renewable energy is impossible because you cannot build a wind turbine without fossil fuels. Industrial Wind Turbines are made from literally tons of steel, concrete, fiberglass, copper, and cast iron. An estimated 900 tons of material is needed to build just one 554' tall Industrial Wind Turbine [10]. Steel is made from iron ore, a finite fossil fuel extracted from the earth. Fiberglass is produced from petrochemicals which cannot be made without the extraction of oil and natural gas. Cement used to make concrete produces carbon dioxide. Consider the factories, machinery, and diesel trucks, also made of steel, and what powers them. Industrial Wind Turbines have a lifespan of 20 years, so this is a repeating cycle, which also adds to materials in landfills. Expanding our hydropower production is a far cleaner solution that requires far less finite fossil fuels.